Nedra Johnson is a singer/songwriter multi-instrumentalist born & living in New York City. Her unique style of guitar playing is unmistakably informed by her many years as a professional bassist and keeps her live solo acoustic performances more on an R&B tip then what one might expect of a "girl with a guitar."
Nedra's self-titled sophomore release is a 2006 OUTMUSIC Award (OUTSTANDING NEW RECORDING - FEMALE) winning, joyful mix of R&B, funk, rock and gospel. Honest in integrity to the music as well as the lyrical content, each song is a testimony of her experience as a black openly lesbian woman in love, spirituality, community and or politics. From the first song "Ahha (It's A Good Thing)" on through to the Maxine Feldman tribute version of "Amazon," this is proudly womyn's music and a great example of how Nedra has grown as a writer, arranger, producer and musician. Featuring lush background vocals and danceable grooves, Nedra makes the personal political and the erotic downright spiritual.
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OK... that's the pro stuff... I'm a pretty down to earth person. I like to laugh. I have a fairly eclectic sense of spirituality... I guess... I mean, I don't think my sensibilities are so out there, but I suppose it could be considered that... ie I can say something like "My baby got sanctified booty" and consider myself praising the Lord whereas I guess some folks might think that's blasphemy. I think God must have a sense of humor though, even if some of her children don't...
I think of my music work as a calling of sorts. I hope that people find it entertaining, but more important to me is that I hope they find it healing... enpowering... I mean, don't get me wrong... I hope they find it HOT and alot of other things, but let's face it...you don't choose a career doing what I do thinking it's gonna make you rich. It's service. And I can only hope that people wil buy my CDs... and that those who do will find that they mean something more than background music for house cleaning... I'm kind old school.
I look back on early womens music with total reverence for women who were performing as out lesbians in a time when being known as a lesbian was extremely dangerous...never mind career suicide as far as mainstream goes... Those women (Alix Dobkin, Maxine Feldman, Cris Williamson, Linda Tillery, June Millington etc) opened doors enough to allow for me to do the work I do... and there are young women now taking it even further... women who can rightly allow themselves to dream themselves right into the mainstream of the music business. Now that's awesome. But, I think it's also something to be cautious about, because I fear that it will be the standards that are set for the mainstream that lgbt folks will begin to really embrace and I don't care for those standards... you know... where they manufacture artists... but whatever... let's hope for all the highest and the best!
So... check out my songs, my website...buy a CD, buy on download, tell a friend, add yourself as friend... send a message!
Love and Blessings!
Nedra
Fat Bottom Girls - Michfest 07
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So Good, So Far
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Nedra - solo acoustic
Black Women's Art Festival
Philadelphia 2007
Alligator Food
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Nedra - solo acoustic
Black Women's Art Festival
Philadelphia 2007
"So Good, So Far"
Nedra with Bruno, Youssef & Stephane.
Live @ the Tjibaou Cultural Centre
Noumea, New Caledonia
"Forever With Me"
Nedra with Cherryl Peters
Live @ the Tjibaou Cultural Centre
Noumea, New Caledonia
